iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Second Day of Flower City Comicon. Got a photo of my set up, and idiot that I am, I just realized I probably could have taken a better photo. #Convention #selfpublished

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Prepping for Flower City Comic Con in Rochester NY next week. Will be the first con I have the second book to sell. Also, I have stickers now!

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Mmm… time for a break from the book today, I think. Flow has been a little slow, and I think a day or two of writing something else will help.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Today’s writing quote is small but packed with meaning. ‘Oh I was the trap this time.’ #writing #author

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

I hit a bit of writers block in my series of short story side projects, so I spent the last few days working on the first chapter of the next book.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

So I noticed a weird coincidence. Stones and Roses is releasing on the three year anniversary for the release of Talons and Fangs. It would be nice to say that was planned, but I went through far too many logistical headaches getting here to say that. For those who haven't seen the cover.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

One of the nice things about self-publishing is that when I reread my own work, I'm free to update the manuscript on amazon with any little line edit tweaks I make without issue. No matter how many passes there's always something to improve, even if it's only a few words in each chapter.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Less than a month away until Stones and Roses is scheduled to release, and my anxiety driven OCD brain is scrambling to figure out if I’ve forgotten anything. #author #fantasy #selfpublished

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Felt like a quote this time: Rak’sha laughed as I shut the door. “So all the houses will have bite marks on them when we leave?” “Some fogs will do that, yeah.” I shrugged. #writing #author #fantasy #selfpublished

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Been doing research the past few days to try and figure out a good naming convention for my centaurs going forward. I wanted something heavily motion themed but my first few tries were… problematic… #fantasy #worldbuilding #shortstory #author

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

I think I can finally commit to a release date of July 31st. That date was moved back way too much, but there is literally nothing left to get in the way. Preorders should be up sometime over the next few days. Still wondering if I should have done the trad pub route, but well… maybe next time.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Been beyond busy the past few weeks. Had a wedding Saturday and have also been doing a bunch of formatting stuff to hopefully improve the feel of the second book for release. While way way way later than I wanted, Im not stuck waiting on other people anymore. Release should be end of July.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

Got a new phone and have been stuck manually transferring everything with how old my last phone was.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

This feels like it fits the idea of nothingness.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Little reminder that when writing a kid or teen who is mature for their age, that does not mean you should write a little adult. Just because the adults in their life may forget they aren’t an adult doesn’t mean you the author should. #writing #characters #kids #selfpublished #YAFiction

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Obsession is a great example of both a flaw and a strength when writing characters. A character can be driven and focused to the point of accomplishing the impossible, and they can also be a little bit crazy over things that should be let go. #Writing #characters #flaws #author #selfpublishing

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

One of my favorite things to do with a character is to have a flaw be so intrinsically tied to a strength that you can’t really remove one without the other. Some might say it stagnates growth, but I think it’s about learning to live with and work around the flaw. #writing #characters #flaws

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

This last week has been... not quite busy but stressful enough that I've been forgetting to post. I’ve been thinking about character flaws a lot recently, so expect the next few posts to be on that. #writing #stress #characters

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

I’ve been trying to brainstorm what short story I should write for the harpies in that side project of mine. Can’t use feather flu for them. Already planned that for the gargoyle short story. Maybe something bone related given they have hollow bones? #author #shortstory #writing #selfpublished

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

So, it’s been agonizing to wait for the few folks I handed out the physical proof to to read it, but on the bright side I’ve had a lot more time to write fan fiction.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Winter may be my favorite season, but late night brainstorming walks are so much easier now that it’s spring. I got so much walking done these last few days. #winter #spring #brainstorming

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Got stabbed in the hand again today. No nerve damage this time. I find that statement a hilarious example of why context matters in writing, so there won't be any more given. Jokes aside, it was still draining, so I'm taking a break from actually posting what I planned today.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Might be time to go digging for a writing contest or two… It’s been a while since I did one, and sometimes a random prompt is just what you need to get the juices flowing. #writing #contest #shortstory #author

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

So… I have a vague idea that the third book in the Nightingale Chronicles may occur after a time skip, but I’m not sure if that skip should be six months or a year or two. #book #sequel #series #author #selfpublished

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

I’ve been debating whether to commission the audio version of Stones snd Roses immediately like I did Talons and Fangs. I certainly want to, but it’s also an expensive investment. #audio #author #selfpublishing

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

I’ve been slowly shuffling the proof copies of the second book around for a last round of feedback before publishing. There’s a few people who preferred prereading an actual book to the digital copy. #writing #prereading #proofcopy #author #selfpublishing

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Almost forgot it was Wednesday. I’ve started writing a few of the one shots for a small side project. It’ll be an anthology of short stories, and I don’t even know if it’ll reach novel length. The running theme is ‘If X was sick with Y’ #writing #shortstories #TsunamiSneeze

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Welp. Missed friday and monday's post. The weird thing is I was more aware of missing them than usual, which I chalk up to having a few posts drafted ahead of time. Having posts ready is helping me to remember I should be posting about my writing, even if not every post is drafted. #GottaMakeAHabit

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

I’ve been rewatching Frieren Beyond Journey’s end again, and as always the way it does characters is just… breathtaking. Makes me want more character driven fantasy books. Let me know what your favorite character driven story is. #anime #characters #fantasy

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

So, while it isn’t perfect, the advice to draft posts ahead of time has definitely been helping me remember to post more. Time to sit, organize my thoughts, and draft a few before writing some fanfic. #writing #planning #authors

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

It really helps to have a second outlet to channel those creative thoughts or look at things from another perspective. Whether its fanfics, tabletop rpgs, video games, or just rubber-ducking with friends. I've been rereading my old stuff recently. #writing #writingcommunity #author #books #planning

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Readers wanting more of your world is infinitely better than dumping a thousand years of lore and backstory down everyone’s throats. So long as your lore sprinkling isn’t so sparse as to confuse readers, you should want readers who demand to know more. #writing #worldbuilding #authors #books

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

The en and em dashes are the silent heroes of a story. You can’t use them too often, but they breathe such a breath of fresh air into the sentence structure and spacing of a story when used right. #writing #writingcommunity #author

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

Now that I have the proof copy, I submitted an application to sell at Flower City Comic Con again next year. Always remember to try and look for local events and book stores, folks. It really helps let you to meet other authors and book enthusiasts. #writimg #author #books #writingcommunity

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

I feel like after over a year of delays for publishing book two, I should be way deeper into book three. The most annoying part of the awkward pause between finishing a book and releasing it is that all the logistics sap my will to write. #writing #selfpublishing #books #series #authors

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

So... as a fan of Naomi Noviks books... His Majesty's Iggy?

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Said is a very important word. For many writers, it’s probably one of the most important and most invisible words in their toolbox. It’s something to slap on, mark who is speaking, and forget. For whatever reason, writing it drives me insane. I like action tags more. #writing #dialogue #author

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

There will probably be a few moments that could happen, but I'm not sure she's ready to realize that. She has trouble dealing with the thought of a normal authority figure being wrong or abusing their power. Her dad is on a whole other level in her head.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

For this book it would definitely be more trying to live up to her perception of him. She tends to see him as her hero and the type of warrior she wants to be. Later on I can easily see it becoming trying to escape his shadow as she becomes more aware of just how much others compare her to him.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Also... there's probably a touch of being in her father's shadow, but I wouldn't call that drama.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

It's less interfamily drama and more that a certain faction wants their home to stay isolated. The narrators mom and dad are both taking steps to open borders up, and the narrator herself is fascinated with the outside world. I plan to explore the grudges held against her parents projected on her.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

A little of both. The first book I was originally going to focus on an entire group of friends before I narrowed the scope to just one, which then naturally led to the second books focus. The third book I wanted to be family well ahead of time, but I had no firm plans until finishing this one.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

I cannot stress how important it is to master invisible writing. If every single word I wrote punched my reader in the face, it’d give them a headache. Heh... honestly... with how wordy I can get, it could leave someone in a coma. Some words are better because your reader will look right past them.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

It's more I go into each book with a certain character dynamic in mind. Book one focused on the narrator Nightingale and her harpy friend Rak'sha. Book two is meant to focus more on her and her human friends. Whichever relationship I'm focusing on determines how things go sideways in that book.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

The proof copy for the book came in just before the end of last week. It feels nice to finally hold it after a year of delays and life being life. #Book #Publishing #Fantasy #Writing

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Alright… I’ve been advised to try and draft several posts in advance to better follow a consistent schedule. I’ve got to say doing it like this helped me organize my thoughts more if nothing else. We’ll see if it helps me get used to this. I'll be trying for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

First time running a table at a library event rather than a con. Kinda curious if it'll be just as exhausting. Like, it's only two hours, sure, but I don't really mind the part where I get to sit and people watch while waiting for a sale. It's set up, clean up, and travel that exhaust me the most.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

The last few days have reminded me of the agony that is trying to come up with a good short description for a book. I'm also recovering from a cold and have been pondering doing an anthology of a bunch of different fantasy species dealing with being sick as a side project.

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Ben Sherman @scribeofthenight.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

And I forgot to show off the table itself... that was the whole reason I thought to post in the first place.

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